A comparative study of the effect of a task-based teaching and traditional method to grammar instruction at Vietnamese upper secondary schools: an experimental research

Vietnam nation university, hanoi college of foreign languages DEPARTMENT OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES  Le Thi Phuong Thao a comparative study of the effect of a task-based teaching and traditional method to grammar instruction at Vietnamese upper secondary schools an experimental research nghiên cứu so sánh ảnh h-ởng đ-ờng h-ớng dạy học sở giao nhiệm vụ ph-ơng pháp dạy học truyền thống việc dạy ngữ pháp tr-ờng trung học phổ thông: nghiên cøu thùc nghiÖm Minor Thesis Field: English Methodology Code: 601410 Hanoi- 2009 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements i Abstract ii Table of contents iii List of Abbreviations vi List of tables and graphs vii Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Rationale of the study 1.2 Hypotheses 1.2.1 The Null Hypothesis (Ho) 1.2.2 The Alternative Hypothesis (H1) 1.3 Purpose of the study 1.4 Important of the study 1.5 The setting and background 1.6 Definition of terminology 1.7 Design of the study Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 The role of grammar in English language teaching 2.1.1 Arguments against grammar teaching 2.1.2 Research supporting grammar teaching 2.2 Grammar teaching as Process or as Product 2.2.1 The process of language learning 2.2.2 Teaching grammar as product 2.2.3 Teaching grammar as process 2.3 Grammar and methods of language teaching 12 2.3.1 Grammar-Translation Method 12 2.3.1.1 Characteristics of Grammar-Translation Method 12 2.3.1.2 Advantages of Grammar-Translation Method 13 2.3.1.3 Drawbacks of Grammar-Translation Method 14 2.3.2 Task-based approach to grammar teaching 14 2.3.2.1 Definition of "Task" and types of tasks in language teaching and learning 15 2.3.2.2 Definitions and features of task-based teaching approach 16 iv 2.3.2.3 The implementation of task-based approach 17 2.3.2.4 Integration of the task-based teaching approach into grammar teaching 19 2.3.2.5 Advantages of task-based approach 21 2.3.2.6 Possible constraints of task-based approach 22 2.4 Conclusion 23 Chapter 3: Research methodology 24 3.1 Methodology 24 3.1.1 Subjects 24 3.1.2 Variables and constants 24 3.2 Research instruments 24 3.3 Data collection 25 3.4 Achievement Tests 25 3.4.1 Pre-test 25 3.4.2 Post-test 25 3.4.3 Other data source 26 3.5 Hypotheses testing instrument 26 Chapter 4: Data analysis and discussions 27 4.1 Pre-test results 27 4.1.1 Descriptive group statistics of the pre-test result 27 4.1.2 Independent samples T-test of the pre-test result 28 4.2 Post-test results 29 4.2.1 Analysis of overall mean performance 29 4.2.2 Descriptive group statistics of the post-test result 30 4.2.3 Independent samples T-test of the post-test result 31 4.3 Hypothesis testing 31 4.4 Classroom observation report 32 Chapter 5: summary, conclusion and Recommendations 39 5.1 Summary of the findings 39 5.2 Conclusions 40 5.3 Recommendations 41 5.4 Limitations of the study 42 5.5 Suggestions for further study 42 References 43 v Appendices I Appendix I: Lesson plans for the study group I Appendix II: Pre-test XI Appendix III: Post-test XIV Appendix IV: Raw data of the study group and the control group on the pre-test and post-test results XVIII vii List of tables Table 1: Willis's model for task-based instruction 18 Table 2: Descriptive Group Statistics of the Pre-test 27 Table 3: Independent Samples T-test of the Pre-test 28 Table 4: Descriptive Group Statistics of the Post-test 30 Table 5: Independent Samples T-test of the Post-test 31 List of graphs Graph 1: Frequency distribution of scores of the Control class 29 Graph 2: Frequency distribution of scores of the Study class 29 vi List of Abbreviations CLT : Communicative Language Teaching EFL : English as a Foreign Language GTM : Grammar-Translation Method L2 : Second Language SL : Second Language TB : Task-based TBA : Task-based Approach TBI Task-based Instruction : Chapter 1: Introduction One of the most important elements necessary to acquire a language is grammar Not only in terms of the first language, but also of the second language, grammar is of primary importance for speakers to convey their messages Vietnamese students start to study English at school, mainly focuses on learning grammar The Grammar-Translation Method (GTM) has been widely employed in Vietnam The GTM focuses on, in particular, the memorization of grammatical features, vocabulary and direct translations of text into the mother tongue Yet, since the 1970s, the orthodoxy in pedagogies of English education and research in applied linguistics has shifted away from the GTM toward Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), because the method no longer fit the demands of learners to use language as a tool of communication (Howatt, 1984) Littlewood (1981: 1) states his views of the communicative language teaching approach, "One of the most characteristic features of communicative language teaching is that it pays systematic attention to functional as well as structural aspects of language, combining these into a more fully communicative view." With the application of the GTM in teaching grammar, students learn only the formal properties of the language (verb conjugation, rules of syntax, vocabulary lists), but they cannot exchange information, express their ideas or feelings, or construct and control problem solving Therefore, the Task-Based Approach (TBA) is a suitable approach to teach English to Vietnamese students today because task-based teaching is an important way of CLT Although the TBA is still new to teachers and students in Vietnam, it is a really effective way to improve students' communicative abilities However, the reality is that there is a long-standing tradition in Vietnam for teachers to teach English using the GTM This method has been widely used in almost all Vietnamese schools With an urgent need for English in communication, the suitable approach should be the TBA This chapter presents the rationale, the hypotheses, the purpose of this study, the importance of the study, definition of terminology, the setting and background, and the design of the study 1.1 Rationale Grammar teaching has played an important role in language learning and acquisition No-grammar teaching will lead to the product of clumsy and inappropriate foreign languages It is a fact that grammar teaching is essential for language teaching According to Wood (1995), "nobody can doubt that a good knowledge of the grammatical system is essential to master a foreign language and it is also one of the most important parts of communicative competence."; therefore, we can see that grammar is a framework without which language cannot be structured and a message cannot be conveyed smoothly and fluently However, grammar teaching is still one of the most controversial and least understood aspects of foreign language teaching although it has been a central aspect of foreign language teaching In Vietnam, the teaching of grammar is an area of controversy and debate In the grammar teaching classroom, some teachers pay excessive attention to the importance of teaching rules and grammatical structures However, there are not many grammar rules that can be clearly formulated and easily taught or learned Some rules are easy to formulate and some are relatively difficult Others are too abstract to be described and cannot be applied mechanically These rules are not always governed by the immediate, linguistic environment and thus are difficult to practice in simple contexts So, the students gradually become uninterested in learning English They negatively accept, process and store the grammar knowledge They are successful in mastering only a set of structure forms which are useless in improving their integrative communicative competence Some other teachers excessively pursue the communication functions, emphasize the notional-function, and totally reject grammar instruction As a result, students are successful but grammatically inaccurate communicators It is not surprising that a Vietnamese student cannot express himself fluently and accurately after spending more than ten years in learning English The reason I choose this topic is related to my personal profession From my observation and professional experience as an upper secondary school teacher of English, I have realized that different teachers have different attitudes and approaches to grammar in the classroom Although the design of English textbook is task-based, many teachers of English apply the traditional method to teach grammar There are teachers who view grammar teaching as unnecessary while the others who are obsessed by it I am always haunted by the question which method to deal with grammar more effectively in the secondary school classroom For several years, I have pursued the answer to this question It is my belief that the answer would be of great help to myself as well as to my colleagues I plan to conduct an experimental study so as to check whether or not teaching grammar through task-based approach is effective Accordingly the following hypotheses are formulated 1.2 Hypotheses 1.2.1 The Null Hypothesis (Ho) There will not be significant difference between the effectiveness of grammartranslation method of grammar teaching and the effectiveness of grammar teaching through task-based approach 1.2.2 The Alternative Hypothesis (H1) There will be significant difference between the effectiveness of grammartranslation method of grammar teaching and the effectiveness of grammar teaching through task-based approach 1.3 Purpose of the Study This experimental study is to check whether or not teaching grammar through taskbased approach is more effective and functional than grammar-translation method that is still being used as the dominant method of grammar teaching in many Vietnamese high schools 1.4 Importance of the Study This study is important in that: • It provides the opportunity for English language teachers to look back and evaluate the effectiveness of the methods and techniques they employ for grammar teaching, and to compare with the integrated approach of grammar teaching • It serves as a threshold on which other researchers can conduct studies in a similar area with a greater magnitude for reliable and comprehensive research finding • It may be used as an instance for the concerned bodies to deal with the prevailing problems in connection with the method that teachers employ in the teaching of grammar, and strive for a possible solution 1.5 The setting and background Chau Phong upper secondary school is located in Phuc Yen Town, Vinh Phuc Province English learning is very popular for everybody here because there are some colleges and a university nearby Therefore, students in the town are motivated to learn English To be more exact, their purpose to learn English is to have opportunities in order to enter colleges or universities All teachers of English of Chau Phong upper secondary school graduated from The College of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University (CFL-VNU) or Hanoi University They all have good qualifications Besides, they are very enthusiastic in their teaching English is taught as a curriculum subject It is compulsory and students have to pass the national examination by the end of grade 12 Both the textbooks and syllabuses for English are prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training, and students have four 45-minute lessons of English a week Most students are at pre-intermediate level of English, and some students are still at elementary level 1.6 Definition of terminology The terms which are commonly used in this thesis are grammar teaching, grammar instruction, grammar-translation method, and task-based approach Although there may be some connotational meaning between grammar teaching and grammar instruction, grammar instruction is more preferred in the literature In this thesis, I use both interchangeably The approach means the theory about nature of grammar and how grammar should be taught accordingly 1.7 Design of the study The thesis contains five chapters Chapter One, the introduction, provides an overview of the study with specific reference to the rationale, the purpose, the hypotheses, the importance of the study, the setting and background of the study, and the design of the study Chapter Two is aimed at exploring the theoretical background for the thesis The chapter will focus on three main points: the role of grammar, grammar teaching as product or as process, and grammar teaching method (grammar-translation method and task-based approach) In Chapter Three, the methodology underlying the research is presented This chapter presents the background information of the subjects of the study, the instruments used to collect the data, and the procedure for data collection Chapter Four is devoted to a detailed description of data analysis and a thorough discussion of the findings of the study In this chapter, some explanations and interpretations of the findings are explored ... perspectives and adopt a flexible teaching method 2.3 Grammar and Methods of Language Teaching 2.3.1 Grammar- translation method The Grammar- Translation Method (GTM) was the dominant foreign language teaching. .. grammar teaching, grammar instruction, grammar- translation method, and task-based approach Although there may be some connotational meaning between grammar teaching and grammar instruction, grammar. .. suggestions are related to teaching techniques and grammar tasks that are relevant and applicable to the teaching of grammar for the upper secondary school students The limitations of the study and some